Before taking the station command, Rowley was sent with ten ships of the line to reinforce Jamaica against a Spanish threat. He took command of the Jamaica Station in 1782, remained through the end of the American War of Independence, and is credited with attempting a peace effort in Haiti. Returning home in 1783, he later became a baronet and vice-admiral of the white but saw no further sea service. He is praised for arranging favorable odds that kept his people alive and made the result predictable. Such command drew less attention than spectacular combat, though it could make him the better officer.
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Jamaica command and the value of quiet competence
Rowley's final command and later honors close a career built on preserving forces and completing difficult work without theatrical heroics.